United States Marine Corps

It is not an inclusive service, unless you are one of them. They welcome men and women from all walks of life, but only if they can prove themselves worthy.

They can be terrible, but only to those who consider the United States their enemy. To those who hate us, the Marines are the manifestation of ferocity and brutal efficiency. They exist because we needed warriors, and warriors they are.

They are not soft – not even close – but even in the most desperate hours they show compassion to the innocent victims of tyranny, oppression and the cruelties of nature. When the world is crashing down and chaos reigns, the Marines stand tall.

(USMC – Capt. Paul Duncan)

They are not fearless, for they are human after all. Yet they charge headlong into the worst the world can offer despite their fears, because they have courage. It does not take bravery to tackle the easy things in life, but rather the tasks that are dangerous, daunting and frightful. That is where you will find the Marines.

(DoD photo by Sgt. Pete Thibodeau, USMC)

They have been there since the beginning of our country – even before – and when the nation needed warriors to go in harm’s way to protect its citizens, the Marines answered the call.